


Mittens

by glim



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Christmas Fluff, Holding Hands, M/M, Winter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-30
Updated: 2016-12-30
Packaged: 2018-09-13 12:23:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9123448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glim/pseuds/glim
Summary: “Come on. The faster we walk, the warmer we’ll feel.” Merlin tugs Arthur along as the chill wind whistles around them.





	

**Author's Note:**

> For youreyeslooklikeblueberries, for the prompt 'mittens.'

“You can come in, you know. You don’t have to stand outside and wait for me.”

Merlin shrugs and waits for Arthur to fix his scarf and button up his navy pea coat. “It’s so quiet inside, and everything’s…” Merlin frowns and peers into the small barristers' chambers Arthur shares with his father and sister. “Tastefully decorated.”

“Well, yes, but that doesn’t mean you can’t come in out of the cold.” Arthur fixes his bag on his shoulder and slides one of his hands into Merlin’s. “Should we get dinner on the way home?”

“You only want soup and don’t want to wait to make it,” Merlin says. He tightens his hand around Arthur’s and tugs him closer when he can feel Arthur shiver a little as the wind picks up around them. “Alright, takeaway, then. Soup?”

“Soup,” Arthur agrees. “And I’ll pay. You paid last time,” he reminds Merlin, and huddles himself in closer to Merlin as they walk up the hill from his chambers to the flat they share closer to the university. “And I got paid this week.”

“So did I. And you do realize it’s easier if we both pay half each time, right?” Merlin hugs Arthur, though, and pauses on the pavement to press a kiss to his cheek to stop the debate before it happens. “But you can pay. I know it makes you happy.”

“It does,” Arthur replies, and there’s a softness in his eyes that Merlin knows is about more than wanting to buy enough soup to last them the rest of the chilly week between Boxing Day and New Year’s. He returns the kiss, brushing his lips over Merlin’s, and then shivers again.

“Come on. The faster we walk, the warmer we’ll feel.” Merlin tugs Arthur along as the chill wind whistles around them. He’s already had time to warm up on the walk from his uncle’s shop to Arthur’s work; he finds it somewhat endearing how Arthur shivers and how his nose turns pink as soon as the flurries start falling on their walk home.

A block later Merlin stops again, this time to pull his mittens out of his pockets. He offers one to Arthur, waits for Arthur to sigh and roll his eyes, and then take the mitten from Merlin. He slips it onto his right hand, and just shakes his head when Merlin puts on the other mitten and slips their un-mittened hands back into each other.

“Absurd,” Arthur murmurs.

“Couple-ish,” Merlin counters. “And you like it.”

Arthur says nothing, because, well, Merlin’s right, and Merlin known he’s right, and that knowledge only makes him grip Arthur’s hand more tightly and draw Arthur in closer to his side. Soon they’ll be home with hot food, soup and noodles and steamed vegetables, and Arthur will curl himself in close to Merlin on the sofa to eat and talk about their day.

They walk quickly through the cloud obscured sunset, the winter wind, and swirl of flurries, the university on the hill above them, and Arthur’s quiet chambers behind them, and Merlin thinks that yes, he quite likes this time of year.


End file.
